Am I next?
by Claude Hamato
Summary: Claudia's thoughts as she sees people disappear around Seymour. Rated K  just in case


"Am I next?"

By: Dusty the Innocent

Summery: Claudia's thoughts as she sees people disappear around Seymour

Disclaimer: I won nothing but Claudia Krelborn

Little shop of Horrors and it's charis belong to their rightful owners

I wrote this as an assignment for English class and decided to put it up here Also I change some lines and Claudia says some of Seymour's so no rude reviews please.

It seemed too good to be true. Maybe it was a dream. Yeah that's it. It was just a very long dream. She had fallen off the counter, putting a hanging pot up and had hit her head really hard on the floor. She'd pinch herself and she'd wake up, laying on her or Seymour's bed with Seymour, Audrey, and Mr. Mushnik bent over her worried expressions on their face, and she'd ask "What happened?" and they'd all give a cry of mixed joy and relief and Seymour would pick her up hugging her close. Okay. Here goes nothing. Claudia raised her hand and pinched her arm and gave a small yelp of pain. Okay, it was certain she was not dreaming. Still she couldn't fathom her cousin's sudden fame since he had found Audrey II. She remembered the day she and Mr. Mushnik had gathered around the radio to listen to Seymour's interview on Wskid.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_  
"Do do do do do _

_Do do do do do do  
W S K I D_

_Skid Row Radio" the chorus sang before the interviewer came back on the air.  
"And thus we conclude our interview with Seymour Krelborn, the young botanical...do you mind if I call you a genius?" he asked  
"Gosh no!" her cousins had said modestly, with a laugh in his voice  
"The genius who's developed a new breed of plant life hither to unknown on this planet, the Audrey II! Oh! One last question Mr. Krelborn. Do you feed it anything special?" She had leaned in closer when the interviewer said that. She, like Mr. Mushnik, was dying to know  
"Special? Uh, no. It's a secret formula, but it's uh, not hard to come by." She sighed in disappointment, but didn't take it too hard. If Seymour didn't want to tell it right now, he didn't want to tell it right now  
"I see." The interviewer said "Well thanks for stopping by. It's been a pleasure-"  
"I'd like to remind our listeners that the Audrey II is on display exclusively at Mushnik's Skid Row Florist Shop, open six days a week...10 to 6!" her cousins said loudly as if trying to get it in there as soon as possible_

"_Well thank you. This is radio station WSKID." The interviewer said ending the interview as Claudia leaned away and reached to turn the radio off only to get pushed to the floor by Mr. Mushnik.  
"The address! The address!" He screamed into the radio, causing Claudia to smirk, and want to tell him Seymour couldn't hear him " Mention the addr- Oh well." He said looking at the 12-year-old girl at his feet "It's still great advertising." She shrugged, nodding as he helped her up._

But then Seymour began acting weird around the same time people had started disappearing around Seymour. Orin, who she had never liked anyways and hated that every time he saw her he would get her name wrong.

_Claudia looked up from her sketchbook as she heard a motorcycle come through the ally, and the sound of feet coming up the steps. She sighed knowing who it was, and continued drawing as Orin entered and saw her._

"_Hey Carlotta."_

_She sighed "We've been through this before. My name's Claudia, not Carlotta, not Barbara, not Susanna, not Matilda, and certainly not Helena (she had hated when he called her that) It's Claudia! Say it with me –Clau-di-a. Clau-di-a." she said harshly, her face going red as it did when she got angry. (which had become more and more often since Orin entered their lives) She stood her ground of the back room as Orin frowned and walked toward her jumping over the counter, his hand closing into a fist, as he grabbed her shoulder, lifting her, making her feet drag the table, listening as she kicked to get free, the plastic vases, her sketch book, and pencils hit the floor._

"_Listen you little brat-" he had started but was interrupted by the sharp _

"_Orin!" he turned and Claudia looked past his shoulder to see Audrey standing in the doorway. Orin had let her go and walked to her and Claudia mouthed the well-known getting she had heard a dozen times_

"_Well, hello Audrey." He said. Claudia watched as he grabbed Audrey's hand and led her outside listening to Audrey's retreating call of 'See you tomorrow, sweetie." She pushed herself off the floor and began picking things up putting it back on the table before she got in trouble listening to the usual argument _

"_Come 'ere you little slut."_

"_I'm not a slut!"_

_**Slap! **__She froze. She had never heard that part before. She hurried out of the back room, forgetting to grab her jacket, running out to see if Audrey was all right, but unfortunately she and Orin had already left_

How Orin had disappeared she didn't know. All she knew was that Seymour told her to close the shop early because he was going to a dentist appointment. She shrugged and did so, pausing once when she heard a growl near her and turned, her big brown eyes surveying the shop, and stopped at the direction the growl had come. Only thing there was Audrey II. She shrugged, trying to forget the weird event. But that wasn't as weird as the blood on the floor of the shop, leading away from Audrey II to a small shed, where a bloody apron and axe sat. She shook her head. It had to be her imagination. Maybe Seymour had come in the shop with some meat for dinner that wasn't cooked yet. It was too heavy for him to carry so he had to drag it causing a rip to get in the package and the blood of the meat to leak out. Yeah, that was it. As far as she knew, Seymour was harmless. He couldn't hurt a fly. But then she saw Audrey crying the next day and had followed Seymour out to her.

_Seymour threw on his clothes quickly,hurring out the door while she had followed him out in her oversized pajama pants, over-sized night shirt, and bare feet, not bothering to fix her messy, curly, dark brown hair. Her eyes widened at the police officers, and she didn't protest when Seymour reached over grabbing her hand like he would when they would go for walks when she was 7. She was frightened now and wanted her big cousins near her. She looked between the two fearfully as Seymour stopped in front of Audrey, letting go of his hand, going behind her cousin hugging his waist as if that could've hidden her from the police officer's glare and the sick guys who were -whistling at her and asking 'You lost little girl?"_

"_Come here, cupcake!"_

"_Ditch four-eyes, and come with me! I'll protect you!"_

"_I'll help you find Mommy' and Daddy."_ _She blinked back tears and dug her face in Seymour's lower back as he talked to Audrey_

_"Audrey what did the police officer say?" he had asked_

_She had hesitated and dried her eyes. "He said while there is no evidence of foul play, there's still reason to be suspicious of Orin's death. They still need t' investigate." Claudia jumped at that and whimpered, but calmed down when she felt Seymour reached behind him, stroking her hair gently_

_"Why are you upset?" he had asked, as his cousin sniffed trying to keep from getting snot on his shirt_

_"I'm not upset that he's missing. I actually wanted to break up with him for the longest time, but I feel like his disappearance was my fault." _

"_No it's not Audrey! You're sweet! Very sweet! And one of the nicest people I know!" she wanted to yell, like she was the cute 7-year-old with the brown pigtails and in the cute little tweedy-bird overalls, plaid shirt, with matching shoes Seymour had introduced her to 5 years earlier, but she didn't, preferring to keep quiet until those sick men went away._

_Thankfully her cousin was quick to reply, "-But it wasn't."_

_"I still blame it on myself though." Audrey had said as Claudia's freighting soft cries stopped but she held Seymour tighter hearing another whistle._

_" You don't need to, Audrey. There are so many other guys that could treat you with respect, unlike Orin." He said, ignoring his little cousin and ward holding him tighter_

_"I know he's out there somewhere, Seymour. Just not on Skid Row." Audrey said as Seymour hit Claudia's hands gently, telling her that he was having trouble breathing, and she loosened her grip._

_Seymour paused and asked her something he'd been meaning to ask her for a long time. "What about me?"_

_"We're just friends Seymour," she replied and looked to him, surprised. "You're almost like a brother to me." Seymour had sighed then and reached behind him pulling Claudia out and held her hand tightly_

_Before leaving her and heading back to work, Seymour was sure to add what his heart told him to say. "I love you Audrey." He was almost about to leave with Claudia when he felt a tap on his shoulder and found Audrey standing beside him. _

_She smiled and said, "I love you too." Claudia had smiled up at her cousin then and said_

"_Told ya I wasn't the only one that loved you." Making the two adults laughs, and Seymour pick her up holding her upside down over his shoulder._

She sighed. That had been a good time between the three since Orin had come. A few days later, she found everything as it had been before they had met Orin. Audrey wasn't coming to work with a bruise under her eye, or own her cheek, or with a broken arm, rib, leg, or sprained ankle. Not even a bandage had been wrapped around her head or fingers. Yep, it was just like old times. Except for Audrey II being in the shop, and all the customers, and the owners, and Claudia having to go fetch more plant food, or pots, or soil, or going to pick up an order. But then Mushnik had disappeared. She shuddered thinking about that night he did, not wanting to remember it at all.

_She had already dressed in her pajamas when Seymour came into they're small room, with a love sick expression on his face. She knew right there and then Audrey had kissed him. She smiled, and shook her head, continuing her drawing._

"_You love her madly, don't you, schmuck?" The two Krelnorns jumped and looked up to see the owner and both laughed that they had been startled by such a silly thing. She watched as Seymour spoke up._

"_Mr. Mushnik, you scared us.*"_

_Mr. Mushnik laughed kinda funny and walked over to her. "l scared him? After what l've seen, l scared him?" He looked at her and Claudia gave a nervous smile and grabbed the two sides of her chair and bounced it away from him to get as far away from him as possible, and watched as he turned to Seymour. "Do you think l didn't know, huh? Oh, l knew. l knew you'd lay down here, on your pathetic little cot...and dream about her. But l didn't know the lengths to which you'd go...the depths to which you'd sink!" Claudia blinked and looked at Seymour and said in fear over Mr. Mushnik's shoulder _

"_What depths? What sink? Seymour, what's he talkin' about?" Mr. Mushnik turned to her and walked toward her like those crazy guys did in the movie when they though they had discovered a murderer or something. Behind him, she saw Seymour's face and wow did it majorly read 'Don't tell her! Don't tell her! Please don't tell her!"_

"_Little red dots all over the linoleum. Little red spots on the concrete outside" He told her, before turning back to her cousin " l'm talking blood, Krelborn. l'm talking under my own roof." He reached over and pulled out the bloody axe she had found a few days earlier " An axe murderer!" Claudia gasped, and put the hand that wasn't holding her sketching pencil to her mouth. "No it couldn't be true. Mr. Mushnik, happy about all the fame that the store was getting, had gone out drinking, and now he was crazy. But his when he had gotten right up next to her, he was close enough for her to smell his breath and she didn't smell any alcohol at all. She was about to come up with something else listening as Mushnik said_

"_l saw everything. Everything you did to her boyfriend. l saw you chopping him." She pouted and got up, laying her sketching pencil on the table, and walked to around him and opened her mouth to say something, but Seymour grabbed her, holding her close to him, saying_

"_lt's true. l chopped him up,"_

_Claudia looked up at him shocked. "What?" she asked not believing it._

_She felt tears coming to her eyes as Seymour pushed her head down and turned it so it was hidden in his chest. She gripped his shirt and felt his fingers go between her long hair as he said_ _"But l didn't kill him!"_

"_Tell it to the police."Mushnik said and she heard the click of the gun the Mushnik had pushed out. She didn't know who it was pointed at. And she didn't care. She felt Seymour loosen her grip with one hand and let her go as he got off the bed. She fell into his bed letting her tears stain his sheets, as she softly cried, listening as her cousin and Mushnik walked up the stairs. She heard the door close and moving around her and heard Mushnik and her cousin's conversation_

"_You know, Krelborn, it kills me doing this. But considering you're almost like a son to me, l'm thinking...maybe we don't have to go to the police_." _Mushnik had said._

"_We don't?" Her cousin had replied back._

"_l'm thinking...what if l kept my mouth shut and gave you and your cousin a one-way ticket out of town?" She squealed in the blankets. She didn't want to leave . Sure ,she hated living here as much as the next guy, but leave? With out Audrey? No way! She prayed Seymour would say no_

"_You'd do that, sir?" Seymour had asked. _

"_You two could lay low for a while, say 30/40 years. Meanwhile, l would keep the plant." Mushnik had replied. _

"_The plant?" Seymour asked confused. _

"_Of course, you'd have to teach me how to take care of it while you're away. Give me your secret gardening tips. But then, if you'd rather hang..." Claudia jumped and gasped when she heard that and she was sure Seymour had swallowed deeply and shook his head_

"_What do l have to do?" Mushnik had asked_

"_Just feed it." Seymour had said. That had to be as useful as giving a weight to someone who was drowning. That didn't tell Mushnik anything_

"_Feed it what?" Mushnik asked_

"_Minerals. Thursdays, you should give it water. But whatever you do..."Seymour said, leaving his sentence unfinished_

"_Yes?" Mushnik asked_

"_Whatever you do..."Seymour repeated_

"_Yeah?" Mushnik asked and she gasped when she heard him scream_

"_What the hell is...?" She didn't hear the rest of the question and only heard the angry cry of "Seymour Krelborn!" before hearing a painful screams. She whimpered and crawled under Seymour's blankets and pulled them tightly over her as if that could mute the sounds of the screams out._

She must have cried herself to sleep, because she woke up the next morning to find herself still in Seymour's bed wrapped protectively in his arms. From what Seymour had told her, Mushnik had gotten grabbed by Orin's actual murderer and was killed. He was in so much shock that he hadn't come back downstairs until midnight. It had to be true. Seymour wouldn't lie to her ,would he? Now she was alone in the closed shop, well alone except for Audrey II. Seymour had told her he had a meeting to go to and that he would be back at 8:00. Dinner was down stairs. Be good, don't hurt yourself. The usual. She yawned as she drew and looked at Audrey II, and had a weird feeling almost like it was watching her., waiting for to come near it, or hurt herself. She yawned again and felt her eyelids droop and was soon asleep.

_She found herself in her pajamas, Seymour holding her hand tightly, leading her behind the counter. He was afraid of something. He looked out toward the back room and called "Audrey!" _

_She peeked around the doorway. "She's not there. Seymour, what's going on?"_

"_I tell ya later. You wait for me here. I'll return with Audrey in less than half an hour. Don't worry, no one's gonna hurt ya. You're safe."_

_She blinked "Safe? So we run away and be away from-?" she shuddered leaving her sentence as her cousin replied_

"_I hope so." _

"_I've haven't had much dreams lately. Just nightmares." She said looking up at Seymour with teary eyes. He sighed and bent down to her level _

"_Claudia, when we're free of this place, the nightmares will go away" He stood and prepared to leaved but Claudia held his hand tightly_

_She shook her head "No, Seymour! Don't go away!"_

_He touched her shoulders gently "I'll be right back for you. Half an hour and we'll be free.__" __She smiled slightly as he kissed her cheek, and hurried out the back way. She heard the same growl she heard a few days ago and pushed her knees to her and whimpered. Then she heard the singing almost tempting her to come out of her hiding spot _

"_**Attend the tale of Audrey II.  
She thinks your skin is pale and your eyes are odd.  
She talked of two gentlemen  
Who never thereafter were heard of again.  
She trods a path that few have trod,  
Does Audrey II, The Demon Plant of Skid Row**_

Her owner worked in a shop in Skid Row (downtown)  
Of fancy customers and good renown.  
And what if the two men's souls weren't saved?  
They went to their  
Maker impeccably ate by Audrey,  
By Audrey II, The Demon Plant of Skid Row

Swing your vines wide, Two-y,  
Hold them to the skies!  
Freely flows the blood of those who moralize.

Her needs are few, her room is bare:  
a checkout counter and fancy signs ,  
A teenage girl and a telephone ,  
An apron, a towel, a pail and a mop.  
For neatness, she deserves a nod.  
Does Audrey II,, The Demon Plant of Skid Row.  
In conspicuous Audrey II is,  
Quick and quite and clean she is.  
Back of her smile, under her word,  
Audrey II hears music that nobody hears.  
Audrey II ponders and Audrey II plans,  
Like a perfect machine she plans  
Audrey II is smooth, Audrey is subtle,  
Audrey II will blink and rats will scuttle.  
Audrey II! Audrey II! Audrey II! Audrey II!  
Audrey II!  
Attend the tale of Audrey II  
She serves a dark and a hungry god  
What happens then, well that's the story,  
And she doesn't want us to give it away. Not Audrey,  
Not Audrey II, The Demon Plant of Skid Row._" Claudia slowly stood going form her hiding place. Seymour said to wait here. He didn't necessarily mean stay behind the counter. _

"_Hello?" she called, looking around. "Is someone here?" No answer and she called out again 'I said. Hello? Is someone here"_

"_**Can't you tell, baby?**__"__ She turned and the only thing back there was Audrey II. _

"_Nooooooo. Who's talking?"_

"_**It's me.**__" She jumped as Audrey II's whatever that was moved and words came out. She screamed and backed away. "A-A-A-A-A-Audrey II?" she stammered out in fear. Audrey II nodded_

"_**This plant is talkin' to you**__." Audrey II said and Claudia shook her head. _

_"__This can't be real!" she exclaimed._

_"__**Believe it, kiddo. I talk!**__" spoke Audrey II._

_"Is this some dream?" asked Claudia._

_"__**No,**__" told the plant, "__**and you ain't in Kansas, neither**__."_

_Soon, Claudia decided not to be fooled. "This is some joke, right?"_

_"__**Oh, no, not at all, sweetheart. But will ya let me hide ya, cutie pie?**__"_

_"How?" she asked._

_She motioned her closer with the vines. "__**Come closer, honey!"**_

_Claudia gave the plant a suspicious look. "How do I know if I should?"_

_Audrey Two wrapped some vines around her waist almost as if hugging her_

"_**Come on baby just do it. I really wanna help ya**__"_

_She started to feel a tad bad. "Well, sorry. If that's all ya want ta do-"_

"_**Sure do, I'll hide ya in a place that murderer will never find you"**_

_She smiled as Audrey Two rubbed her vines against her face as if petting her. "Well, your leaves are kind of soft."_

"_**No need to start crying in fear**__."_

_She showed sympathy as she removed the vines gently. "Ok, I trust you'll hide me in a safe place"_

"_**You won't scream for Seymo'?**__" Audrey II asked_

_Claudia shooker head, moving some hair from her face. "Why? I don't think he'll be able ta hear me." She said _

_At that moment, Audrey II got completely evil._

"_**SO I GUESS NOW IT'S SUPPERTIME!**__"_

_Just at the moment Claudia looked down, the vines were tightly grabbing her legs and entire body one by one!_

_No matter how much she struggled, the vines were too thick and strong._

_"Hey, what are you doing?"_

_"__**Oh relax darlin'. It'll be easier for me. Join your dearest friends.**__"_

_Claudia couldn't help but choke at what she said. "Friends?"_

_Audrey II made a clear and frightening point. "__**They're right inside!**__"_

_The vines wrapped around her mouth and pulled the poor 12-year-old girl closer and closer to the plant's mouth as it sang.  
"__**In the dark of the night I was tossing and turning  
And the nightmare I had was as bad as can be -  
It scared me out of my wits -  
A little girl more important to Seymour then me!  
Then I opened my eyes  
And the nightmare was...you!  
I was once the most important in all or the boy's mind.  
When Seymour betrayed me he made a mistake!**__" at this point Claudia kicked the counter trying to stop from getting pulled in and Audrey II growled "__**Hold still, you little brat!**__" She then continued singing  
__**"My curse will make him pay  
Can't let let this little girl get away!  
Little Claudia, beware,  
Audrey II's awake!  
In the dark of the night evil has found you  
In the dark of the night just before dawn!  
Aah...  
Revenge will be sweet  
When my curse is complete!  
In the dark of the night  
You'll be gone!  
I can feel that Seymour is slowly returning!  
Tighting my vine and add dash of perfume for that smell!  
As the pieces fall into place  
I'll see him crawl into place!  
Dasvidanya, Claudia, sweetheart, farewell!  
In the dark of the night terror has struck you!  
Although terror's the least I can do!  
In the dark of the night evil has brewed.  
Ooh!  
Soon you will feel that you nightmares are real.  
In the dark of the night  
You'll be through!  
In the dark of the night  
Evil has found you  
Ya hears it's found you!  
Ooh!  
In the dark of the night terror comes true.  
It will doom you!  
My dear, here's a sign -  
It's the end of your line!  
In the dark of the night...  
In the dark of the night...  
In the dark of the night...  
Come my dinner,  
Come to your master,  
Let your panic shine!  
Come here now,  
Yes, come ever faster  
In the dark of the night...  
In the dark of the night...  
In the dark of the night...  
You'll be mine!"**__ Audrey II laughed evilly at the end and Claudia turned to see she was just inches from her demise and the sharp teeth and dark abyss didn't help at all. She then began screaming loudly. But n o matter how much she screamed, no one could hear her anywhere! . Audrey II pushed her into it's mouth and she screamed as the sharp teeth and digestive juices hit her body burning her and her world went black when one of the teeth hit her stomach. She slipped into the plant's throat just as she heard her cousin open the door. Calling "Claudia! Claudia, where are you? This isn't a time for jokes." Then heard Audrey II say __**'She's gone Seymour."**_

"_No! What have you done with her?"_

'_**You know very well what I did." **__Audrey II exclaimed before laughing evilly again. _

At the moment when she thought Seymour's fate was also about to end, she heard his voice.

"Claudia! Claudia! Wake up." She moaned.

"Seymour?"

"Are you ok?" asked a light, soft voice. When she opened her eyes, she found Seymour and Audrey in front of her with worried expressions.

A quick look around told her she was back behind the counter and in reality. "What happened?" she asked rubbing her eyes, sitting up.

"You were yelling a few seconds ago when we came in," said Audrey

"Are you alright, kiddo" Seymour asked her.

Claudia took a peek to the window behind him to see if she was in heaven or still dreaming , but luckily, she was still at Skid Row.

She felt nothing but blissful relief. "Oh, man. Yeah, it was just a nightmare." She turned back to them. "Hey, guys. Do you think there's ever such a thing as a giant plant that feeds on blood?" she asked them.

"A giant carnivorous plant? No way," laughed Audrey.

Seymour hesitated before agreeing. "Yeah. Like you said, Claudia, it was only a nightmare." He said, giving her a sheepish smile

Claudia couldn't help but smile back. "You're probably right."

As Audrey and Seymour went downstairs, she collected her stuff. Then she could only look back at Audrey II and thought on the dream and laughed "I mean a giant, man-eating plant. Come on." Still she couldn't help but wonder what the dream meant. Was it trying to tell her something?

"Am I next?" she asked to herself, before hurrying downstairs after she looked at Audrey II as the moon's glow left it making her looked slightly more creepy.

Songs rewritten for her dream

"Balled of Sweeny Todd"-From The demon Barber of Fleet Street

"In the dark of the night" –from Anastasia the movie

What do you think? Readandreveiw.


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